


Happy Birthday

by APHTrashbin (verfens)



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Lots of OCs - Freeform, M/M, Minor Character Death, Minor Violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-06
Updated: 2015-07-06
Packaged: 2018-04-08 01:19:41
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,054
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4285245
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/verfens/pseuds/APHTrashbin
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The 4th of July in many important years in America's history, and the 5th of July that would matter more than any of them.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Happy Birthday

July 4th, 1776

"Are you sure about this, Alfred?" They were all looking at him, a boy of not even adult age yet. He swallowed, his 13 pieces all looking at him in their ragtag clothes, each clinging to their various representatives. It was Mary-Ann's voice that had spoken up for him.

"Yeah, Virginia, sorry." He swallowed thickly. "It's just…it's becoming real now- we're going to have to fight, won't we?"

The slightly older looking teen nodded, ruffling her shortened hair. "Well, again, I know how much you care about him-." But Alfred cut her off, surprising the representation of his colony.

"I  _cared_  about him." He corrected, swallowing his fears and doubts. "He…he needs to understand. I won't…I won't be his possession. I'm not. I'm my own person, and he needs to understand that. And…And I'll fight! I'll fight alongside you all." He nodded. "And Alfred will continue to be my first name. But I'm dumping the last name of the British Empire." He took a deep breath in and out, and he felt Washington put his hand on his shoulder, supporting this decision.

"I want to be known as Alfred Jones, the representation of America- the joint representation of you 13 colonies, as a separate and sovereign entity from the Empire of Great Britain."

There were cheers around the room from the personifications first, quickly joined by the humans- figuring that this declaration from their joint nation was as important as any document that they had carefully constructed.

"Send it to the printers." He heard the humans speaking as he slowly rubbed the back of his neck, his blue eyes looking out the window, to where he saw skies greying.

War wasn't just coming- it was already here, a reality for the now independent American nation.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1779

"Shit, New York, why the fuck is your Loyalist Governor here!" America was cursing at the young man, who was quickly trying to reload his bullets.

"Balls if I know!" The young persona of New York yelled back, his normally stylish hair (modeled after Netherlands) a complete mess, but then the younger persona of Connecticut, a young woman with her form hidden behind a façade of a man's uniform and her eyes set in determination, her teeth grit with anger as she shoved a canon past them, aiming it for their men, marching towards the homes of New Haven.

"Move, twats." She cussed, and lit the canon from her position. "We don't have nearly enough soldiers to stop him- so lets just do some damage,  _alright_?" Her voice, tense, left no room for argument. "We can't stop him from destroying these homes- but we can slow them down as much as possible. They're trying to destroy our ships!"

The two male representations were quieted, before they nodded, trying to gather the too small militia to face off with the massive Loyalist force that they were facing.

"Are we ever going to get around and celebrate your birthday, Al?" Little Rhode Island asked, carrying her drum against her chest quietly, dressed up as a drum boy now that they had another battle to fight.

Alfred laughed, patting her shoulder. "Maybe when that English bastard gives up, Erin!" He said, cheerful as he fired his bayonet at the first line of troops headed their way. "Get going! The soldiers will need you more than I do!"

"Yeah, well, I figured I had to wish you a happy birthday despite the fact we're probably going to die here." And she was running off again, but the sentiment she had shared was sweet, even thought it was tainted by her remaining doubts about everything.

"Thanks!" He shouted after her, a bit belatedly.

There wasn't much time to celebrate a birthday of all things on a battlefield, particularly when Connecticut was in a tizzy because the bastards were at the harbor now as well.

They were now only 4 years into the war, and 3 years since he had formally declared his independence.

"Sir! America! Britain alert!" The three voices that were calling him, made Alfred's head whip around. It was New Jersey, New Hampshire and Massachusetts, the last of whom carrying the young personification of his northern territory on his hip, and they were all running over to America, whose eyes widened at the alert, quickly steadying the three before they toppled him over.

"What? Here?" He asked, blinking. "I heard from Georgia and the Carolina twins he was still rumored to be down south!"

New Jersey, who wasn't as tired from having to carry around a small persona, spoke first. "Pennsylvania rode to me to inform me that she saw him going through her territory on his own, I received the news and ever since then I've been running to meet you!"

Alfred swallowed, nervous, his entire body heavy. "Connecticut, New York, find Rhode Island." He nodded, and the two other states grabbed bayonets and ran off into the fray to find their younger companion. "We need to give him a good proper welcome, don't we?"

Soon enough, America was joined by over half of his states. "Time to join, we're good, right?" There wasn't any sort of discontent, as the 8 of them combined to make an older, fiercer America, one who was most certainly a bigger threat to Britain than the 14 year old was.

It was good that they had joined when they did, because barely two minutes after they had started to look for him, the British nation had them surrounded by the Loyalists. "Ah, America." He said, his voice condescending.

"England! Man, I still see you're as bitter and poorly dressed as ever!" He said, cheerful, and the nation quickly devolved into cursing and defensiveness.

"South Carolina was a fluke!" He shouted, angry at the younger nation. "Either way, I found you- enough hiding, boy, and that's enough of playing soldier- its time for you to come home to the crown and answer for your crimes of treason!"

"Why would I be committing treason? I am my own nation now!" He yelled right back, catching England off guard by using his strength against the older Empire, punching him and dislocating his shoulder, making England howl in pain for a short bit- and the British Empire laughed at him once he had collected himself.

"Daft fool, you're far too weak to stand on your own as a nation. Simply speaking, the crown was willing to offer you a smaller sentence if you had given up- but, I see that you are a lost cause!" And England got out a knife, one that had been concealed in his clothing, and used his good hand while his limp one hung at his side to attempt to kill America.

Alfred dodged, but there were a few close calls. England even got a good stab at his forearm, and the American nation hissed in pain, blood spilling out of the wound profusely.

"Two minutes." Britain murmured scathingly, taunting him with dispassion in every inch of his expression. "That was your artery." And then he pulled out a handkerchief on Alfred's person, and wiped the knife off on it. Alfred had fallen to his knees, squeezing the wound tightly so as to prevent himself from bleeding out as England had predicted.

Once the knife was cleaned on Alfred's cloth, Britain dropped it on Alfred's face, and kicked him over.

"Not even worth the damage you did to my blade." Britain sneered, haughty, before he shot Alfred in his leg, making the nation cry out in pain, the older man with far more knowledge of wars having almost certainly broken bone. "I suppose a gunshot will have to do." And he cocked the gun at Alfred's head, the blue-eyed nation glaring at him hard, Alfred heard the gun click, but as England stared at him with cold-blood in his eyes, the two having a staring match, the British man scoffed, and put away his gun. "Not even worth a second shot." He muttered to himself.

And then he walked, leaving Alfred unmistakably to die alone, the younger nation attempting to drag himself to the safety of his own troop line, but he was unable to before his states popped apart from him, and left their leading nation unconscious, bleeding out.

What a happy birthday indeed, he thought in his fading consciousness. Even England had been there…

XXXXX

July 4th, 1786

It was only a few years later that the war had finished. Every year seemed so long to the young personification. He was alone, save for his states.

And his states were fighting, that's all he knew.

The Articles of Confederation had left Alfred weak and needing desperately to have more support from his states.

James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were looking after the sickly teen, James writing another set of papers for the people to read while Alexander complained that he didn't do enough taking care of their nation.

"You cannot just treat the human symptoms, Alexander." James said lightly, briefly looking over his shoulder to eye the two of them before he turned back to writing. "Our boy Alfred here, as much as he looks human as you and I, is in fact a personification of our nation and so suffers a disease from the intangible concept of war debt."

Alfred smiled a bit, curling under the blankets, and Alexander turned back to him, gently wiping the sweat off the boy's brow. "That doesn't mean that he is also not a boy." He bit his lip. "Alfred, would it not just be simpler to tell the masses what sort of shambles you find yourself in, to tell them that you are their lifeblood and their reason for breaking free?"

Alfred coughed a bit, but shook his head. "No, the people…they shouldn't really know me, not as more than one of them." He sighed, looking to the ceiling. "Just as I shouldn't tell all of you, in all honesty…what I know of Europe is that typically the nations leave the knowledge of their existence to their rulers- their king or queen, and maybe a few of the upper echelons of their individual military."

Alexander nodded, gently wiping his brow once again. "Well…that knowledge helps a bit. Plenty of those nations have made it through and survived, have they not?" He was reassured by Alfred's tentative nod, but then the boy spoke.

"Though, the reason they're that way is because historically, they're bloodthirsty creatures…they killed to be where they are today." Alfred looked distant. "Ah…Well, that's just…what Gilbert told me. The representation of Prussia- he said that I'd have to fight too…"

"Prussia?" Alexander looked curious at that. "I know you knew France, but Prussia as well? Who else have you met?"

"Ahh…Spain." He nodded. "Tha's it…other than England. Oh! Oh yeah, Canada, the Canada territory… he's my brother…biologically speaking…. Probably…"

James laughed. "I do believe I saw your brother during the war, did I not?" He asked, inquisitive of the nation, and Alexander hushed him as Alfred's face crumpled.

"You did…."

The two men talked softly, and then James got up, while Alexander gently told Alfred that he should rest, they would continue talking in the morning.

"I'll be downstairs!" James said happily. "Dolly's here as well, she'll be up later with some food for you, America!"

They probably forgot it…but that was fine…. it was fine….

And she was. Alfred felt he had only closed his eyes a moment ago from that conversation, but Dolly was there, along with James and Alexander again, the three of them having some treats for him.

"Happy Birthday, America- to 10 years of being independent of Britain." Dolly smiled, cheerful, and the two men propped up America in order to give the boy a proper celebration through his current illness.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1806

He was looking at yet another report on the impressment of American sailors by the Brits. "Ugh, he just can't leave me well alone, can he?" He asked with a small sigh.

America was walking in D.C. the Capital city still being built around him. It was  _his_ Capital, and he was certain it would one day rival the greats of Europe, London, and Vienna.

"Truth be told, I doubt it." James Madison said, tired. "Great Britain is in trouble, and he's using the opportunity of needing more soldiers to be a nuisance to you, Alfred."

"I do not care for the wars of Europe- let Napoleon play with them for all I care." Alfred was bitter, and James was quick to chastise him for it.

"Ah, well, it's good in some respects, certainly, but you do have some friendly relations over the pond, right?" And Alfred had to begrudgingly nod at his friend and politician, the man smiling at the growing teen.

That was until Mary-Ann and Noah burst through his office door, Virginia screaming at America for continuing to allow this behavior from England, and Maryland sheepishly telling his best friend to calm herself down, she was making a scene, while D.C. hopped behind them, the boy not quite 5 yet while the two original colonies towered over the boy at 15 and 16, and America, the main persona, hit the mark at 15 as well.

"Look, that bastard simply won't leave us alone! Federal Government,  _you're_  supposed to be the one doing something about it!" She shouted at him as she poked his chest with a carefully manicured finger, clearly still bitter about having her rights as a state overthrown by the federal rights of America.

"Virginia, I am trying to do something about it." He said, and D.C. had hid himself behind the person he viewed as a protective figure. "However, you States still need to actually  _contribute_  soldiers to my army."

She frowned heavily, and glared at the persona of the Nation's Capital. "Why do we have a persona for the District of Columbia anyway, Alfred?" She asked, a foul taste seeming to be in her mouth as she said it. "Why not make it one of our  _own_  cities that already  _exists_?"

"Because, Mary-Ann." Maryland sighed, rubbing his temples. "You and I both know, just as well as Al does, that not one of us would be able to agree on which city in America should become our nation's capital- everyone would want it inside their own state! There'd be chaos!"

"Thanks for backing me up here, Noah." Alfred sighed. "Anyway, Mary-Ann, you know that you'd never agree to have a capital in Boston, just as New York would never want a capital in Atlanta. So, third party solves the whole problem. The capital isn't a part of any one state; it is its own separate being, and therefore, an entity all its own." He gave a long-suffering sigh. "I don't make the rules, Virginia."

And then the woman was huffing, turning on her elegant heel and marching out, Maryland soon jumping and following her out.

The boy looked up to Alfred, and America picked up his capital, hugging the boy close. "I know, she's hard to please, isn't she?" He asked him, and D.C. nodded, looking crestfallen, and Alfred only hugged him tighter.

James Madison sighed. "I swear, that young lady gets into more trouble than she's worth at times…"

"She's just bitter sometimes…" America admitted. "She has never quite forgiven me for the mistakes of her father in his choice to raise me."

"She's England's child?" Madison asked, baffled. "I knew he raised you as his brother, but she's actually…?"

"Yep- 100% related." He shrugged. "She was abandoned though, and was replaced by me, she's not…she's not really recovered from that, I don't think." Alfred was tentative with revealing this much about his state. "I don't even think he knows she exists, let alone that she utterly despises him with almost every part of her."

James pat his back reassuringly. "Women." He complained with a firm pat on the back, and Alfred agreed quietly, still holding young Henry Jones in his strong grip. "It's been 30 years now, hasn't it? Since you declared yourself free of him, I mean."

And Alfred could only nod, unable to comprehend how much time truly had passed.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1812

They were going to war again. It didn't even make sense to Alfred. How was it this hard to be a nation? He was declaring war on Britain and attacking Canada? How did that make sense?

Baltimore was rioting in protest.

Alfred was in a tizzy, being suited up for war despite his reservations about attacking his brother.

He was on his way to Canada.

But it would fail. He know it will, because Alfred knew that Matthew wasn't going to give in, and England wasn't willing to lose to Alfred a second time- not now of all times, with his attention mostly on France and beating the concepts of Revolution out of the other European nation.

Happy birthday, he thought as he thought of how many they were killing over there.

Happy Birthday. Prussia had sent him a letter of sorrow- his and Austria's brother had died, a casualty of the war. Brother, his family, it was dead. Because of France and the concept of revolutionizing.

A child. A child was dead because of the revolution in France.

One of their own- Happy birthday revolution- hope to not kill Canada, he thought dimly, shaking as he rode his horse on the way to Canada.

Hope that England might have it in him to beat him off this land as well as the lands of Europe.

Happy Birthday to himself and to France to the dead nation to Canada to the world of tomorrow.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1816

It still burned, if he was entirely honest with himself.

He was still too thin and too achy. He was still alone and hurting. And the scar still burned as hot and angry as it had the night it started.

The war was over- it had been since February of the previous year, thankfully. The war where Britain had hurt him in ways that he had never seen before was over. He hadn't been in York when it burned- he hadn't known. But England and Canada both fully knew what they were doing when they set D.C. aflame. Alfred barely had time to force the boy Henry inside of his form, to protect him before the fire started.

Henry was still too scared to come out of Alfred's shell, leaving Alfred more battered because he was dealing with the screaming thoughts of a child who was in excruciating pain.

The scar was over his heart, it was settled now. He remembered what England had told Canada when they had found him, breathing out fire and smoke as his innards burned.

" _Canada, unlike how your scar, which is on your outer form, will fade in time, I have a feeling that America's scar will never disappear." He had forced Alfred to show the burning chest. "Tsk, you make a perfect example for what happens to traitors." England's poisonous eyes glared into America's crying ones, his voice calm even though America shrieked in pain._

_Canada was subdued, but made no effort to help America at all._

" _What a shame it is that I must leave you here, where you will rot. Come along, Canada." And Britain had left him, the city ablaze, and America crying, starving and burning until he died abruptly._

He remembered all right. Another birthday was past now. It was 40 years since independence now.

And in another 10 years and he would have 50 years as a free nation under his belt.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1853

He was meeting the young woman who had sparked so much change in social thought. He had liked her book, and she was surprised as she spoke to him.

"So you are a boy who is our representation of our great nation?" She asked, curious. "And you believe my book?"

Alfred nodded, smiling congenially at the white woman. "Yeah, I do. I mean, I've always sympathized with the cause, it doesn't make sense to agree with the statements the founding fathers made in their documents without remembering that blacks, even as slaves, are people too. It boggles me that so many people can just be…prejudiced as they are."

The woman nodded, and gently supported him when he wobbled in his seat. "Am I really having this much of an effect on you?" She asked, clearly perturbed.

"You aren't…my states, they are a different question. The south is very..." He lost his train of thought.

"Stubborn, bigoted, narrow-minded?" She replied, and he laughed a bit, before he nodded, agreeing quietly, before his entire body throbbed, and he groaned in pain.

She stabilized him once more, and he clutched her a bit, before he just fell out of his seat. "Damn. People are getting really weird about this…" He mumbled, shaking a bit.

"Sir, perhaps you should go home." She said, gentle.

Alfred nodded, the world around him feeling unreal, but he though he tried, he couldn't stand, it was as though he could press through the floor, and he just stayed on the ground.

Who was the woman? He didn't know.

He passed out, his mind only just beginning to fracture, a deep wound that was only starting to fester.

 _Happy Birthday,_ an unfamiliar voice congratulated him.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1860

Another meeting. They were honestly having another meeting about it.

The Carolina's were always the most adamant about it, honestly. They railed, and they raved, the identical brothers yelling at Alfred on how awful it was that Lincoln was going to win the election. "He can't, Al!" One of them said. "If he does, he'll force us to change now!"

Alfred blinked, before he spoke. "Ugh, would it be so awful?" He asked, shaking a bit.

"Obviously." Georgia spoke up, the woman's carefully manicured hair up in a beautiful updo, her dress a little out of place at the moment. "Because, Alfred, your opinion on the subject is being affected."

"Scarlett, my opinion has always been the same." He muttered. "Britain, as punishment, would make me work with slaves…I've wanted them free for a long time…."

"That's not what you told us last week." Arkansas said, speaking up in confusion now. He was younger than the original colonies, as were many of the others.

Tennessee spoke then. "You're a little late to the party- Alfred's right, he's always told me he didn't like the practice, but tolerated it because it makes him sick when we argue like this, and he was sick practically since the revolution's end, even though I wasn't around to point that out.

Florida and Texas nodded. The two were older than a lot of the younger states because they were born outside of the union. "I've always thought that you, America, were a bit strange." Florida admitted. "We are your states, and we are supposed to be under you, but still control you. But you no longer match our cause."

Louisiana and Mississippi looked to each other quietly. The interracial states were clearly unhappy with the direction their people were leading them, and Louisiana jumped from her seat to catch Alfred when he fell over. "Good lord, y'all!" She shouted, gently cradling their nation. "He's hardly in any shape for this!"

Alfred's eyes were rolling back up into his head. Their voices were so distant, so distant.

He heard Mississippi cry out in surprise at something, and then something being applied to his forehead, a towel or bandage of some kind.

"What do we do?" Missouri asked in a panic, and he heard the others bicker and fight over what was wrong with Alfred. Even though they didn't like the northern States that much, a lot of them are close with Alfred on a human level, they liked him as a person. "What's happening to him?!"

"Happy birthday…to me….." He said in a sing-song voice, and he felt a hand slap him, though the sensation barely was there. It was Kentucky's voice. "Heya, Al, I understand you're havin' some trouble there, but it's better if you don't go batshit crazy." He said, partially joking.

He was interrupted by Virginia, whose voice was thoughtful, "Actually, no. I think this is what we want." She said, and he saw her green, green eyes, they looked so much like England's, staring at him in disapproval. "England tried to do this to Alfred as well, before the revolution."

"Why?" Georgia asked her, pushing her out of Alfred's face and holding the nation, who was still singing. Everything felt far away, and he wasn't able to hear Virginia any more, but still, he knew what England had wanted to do to him.

He had wanted to split Alfred in half, and take the part of him that was a loyalist with him.

However, as the southern nations sat in silence, the meeting was suddenly interrupted by Maryland. "We should consult the North about that before we try something like that, wouldn't you agree, Delaware?" The two states, both allowing slavery, agreed, and Maryland took Alfred from Georgia, picking him up.

Alfred hung limply from Noah's arms, and he fell into the bliss of semi-consciousness, still absently singing to himself- blood from the wound on his forehead dripped down into his eyes, and he smiled at it.

" _Virginia, you're acting more and more like your father! Why on earth are you even suggesting this sort of thing?!" Maryland was vocal in his discontent._

_That only made Virginia angry. "I am nothing like my father, Noah! How dare you say that!"_

" _All we know about this is what we overheard England telling America!" He reminded, sharply. "It was his idea, and you're bringing it back, even though all we know is that it'll split him so deeply that it could very well_ _ **kill**_ _Alfred as we know him!"_

" _I'd be willing to take that chance, Maryland! We need a nation who will stand by us and our beliefs!"_

" _I'm as every much as a slave state as you are, Virginia, but your idea is absolutely insane! We_ _ **grew up**_ _with Alfred, and what you're suggesting is insane! What happens if he does in fact, die? What then?!"_

" _I'd be fine with it so long as we succeeded!" She was shouting, they both were._

" _And if you didn't? If you failed, and Alfred and the new nation were gone, destroyed?!"_

" _Then I'd live with that guilt." She growled. "I'd live with the knowledge that at least, I_ _ **tried**_ _."_

" _Damn, Annie, you're more like your father than I thought."_

_Alfred heard the slap of skin against skin. Maryland staggered back, obviously having been slapped by Virginia._

" _How_ _ **dare**_ _you say that!?" She shouted, crying now. "How dare you!?"_

_And he opened his eyes and say her storming off, her arms folded as she hunched over, leaving Maryland alone with Delaware._

_He didn't know how much time had passed, before he realized he wasn't in Virginia anymore._

" _Al? You there?" He heard Noah speaking to him, he was so far away, and Alfred could barely hear him. "I'm bringing you north, D.C. wasn't in the Capital, so I'm bringing you to Pennsylvania, she'll take you up to New York, I've already sent notice to them to expect you and keep you guarded from her."_

_Good…he'd be safe there…right?_

" _Sorry, Alfred…I didn't mean for that to happen." Noah was apologizing. "Happy birthday, America, I'm sorry that this happened…"_

_He couldn't speak, everything was so distant…so distant…._

" _Hang on for us, okay?"_

XXXXX

July 4th, 1863

It hadn't been enough- of course it hadn't. "America" had broken, just as Virginia had desired. His memories were cut in half.

Just as his body was.

He remembered the day he, Union was born, along with Confederacy. Union took on the identity of Alfred Jones, but Confederacy, he was new. Younger.

A boy of perhaps 8 or 9 years, with dirty blonde hair and a pair dark grey eyes had appeared in the wreckage of the last full meeting of the USA, and a boy of 14, with sharp blue eyes and blonde hair the color of wheat.

And South Carolina, quickly realizing that this was his opportunity, grabbed the younger boy from the place, and cried to Alfred, whose head was spinning. "I secede from the Union!" And he had run, he had run and run with the boy in his arms.

That had been in 1860- he had been broken in December 1860.

He was now comforted by the knowledge it wasn't just him who was broken.

A young girl sat in D.C.'s lap, curled up. She was younger than even Confederacy was- not even 4 yet.

She was West Virginia, she had said. "And I secede from Virginia, my mother, to join you in the North."

Her name was Susannah; she was apparently Mary-Ann and Henry's daughter. Alfred didn't really want to know when that affair had happened. Maryland had looked sick when he saw her, every time.

Maryland had sided with Alfred, as had Delaware, and Kansas, the territory, had pushed through to become an official state in order to further support Alfred. Oregon and California had both come from the West to battle in his name as well.

Alfred's life hung in the balance, after all- their Alfred, not this Alfred. He reminded them of that often enough. Their Alfred was slowly dying inside of Union and Confederacy, split apart entirely, because of the nature of how he was divided. Slowly he gained himself back, of course, but he wasn't the same because his own had betrayed him.

And now they all fought, bitterly and harshly, spilling blood on the ground of brothers and sisters.

They were in a civil war now. It wasn't even his Birthday it felt like, it was the USA's birthday, but that nation was broken now. There wasn't much to celebrate.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1865

The war had been over now for over a month.

Alfred F. Jones was wandering aimlessly, his glasses cracked, as much as his being was. He staggered westward- he knew those woods better than any human or even many of his own states.

He had added the F to celebrate the Emancipation of Black Slaves. Like them, he had taken a new name to celebrate the fact of Freedom. Hence why he was also now, Freedom.

"It's not often I see a white man around these parts." A black woman was speaking to him. "What's yer name?"

"Ah. Alfred." He smiled, quiet, not particularly all there. "I'm not a threat, if that's what your thinking. I'm trying to get lost myself."

"Suit yourself, white boy." She said, but they mostly were at ease around him. "Where are you headed?"

"I don't mind where I go. The American West is growing smaller all the time. But I think I can, at least for now, be lost here."

"We're trying to cash in on the gold out in California." The black woman said, conversationally.

"Try the Colorado area." He suggested, honest. "That place jus' hasn't been looked into yet. Plus, you won't have to make it over the mountains in the middle."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

He grinned. "I care about my citizens, tha's all."

"Your citizens?" She asked, laughing. "We're still hardly citizens, you should know."

"Yes, but…I consider you a part of me all the same. The reason I'm running is because I hate the guy in office right now. Lincoln had such a great plan…this guy now- he's just a racist."

"You say that like you knew them." She said, skeptical.

"And I did." He grinned, weaker. "Don't tell anyone, but you are speaking to the bona-fide US of A."

"You? You're the United States?" She laughed. "Figure that you'd be a white man- even though you were built of us."

He had to laugh with her. "Well, honestly, I was born to the natives- my mother, the one who raised me after I formed, she was a beautiful woman, with dark brown skin and hair that swayed in the wind. I haven't seen her in a long, long time though- before I even told England to go fuck his own ass."

The woman smiled though, seeming interested. "Really? Now that's a pity- you seem much nicer than the Europeans or even a lot of Americans."

"I don't know a lot of Europeans. Not even the nations, let alone the people."

"Neither do I, but then again, I don't know any Africans either, but I'm still told I'm part of them. I was born here, and I'm sure I'll die here, jus' as my granny and her granny did before."

"Well, that's true. But, from me, the source of all in this nation- I swear that you are nothing other than an American- and you're free now. You are a free American."

"I can't wait to see the day were the world thinks that of me as well."

Alfred smiled at her. "It's the forth, isn't it? Today, almost a hundred years ago, I agreed to separate from England, once and for all. Today, in 1776, I signed my name for the first time as Alfred Jones, rather than Alfred Kirkland." He breathed out a deep sigh. "Today, in 1865, I'm alone- I killed my own younger brother, the Confederacy because he was killing me, and then I lost one of the best bosses I've ever had."

"Well, I can't personally read, but I've been told that your Declaration said things that no other person ever said before, and I hope that you'll one day be able to back up what you promised to the world then."

He smiled, and nodded, thanking her for her kindness.

"What was his name?" She asked, curious now. "Your brother, I mean."

Alfred looked to the sky. "Bobby Hardy, well, technically, Robert Hardy. He never grew up past 10 before we stabbed swords through each other, and he died solely because I had won politically."

"That's gruesome." She said, making a face. "How did you survive being stabbed?"

And he laughed, demonstrating his healing powers to her and watching her eyes grow wide in amazement as he cut his own cheek, and it healed slowly before her eyes.

"I'm a nation, a personification of the boundaries humans draw for me, run by the government and my people. I am the representation of the land and government. Wounds don't always kill me, and I've survived far worse than a sword in the stomach." He pulled down his shirt to show the burn scars on his chest.

She nodded, and went quiet, seeming to understand now, and being a little awed for it.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1876

He had made himself look presentable for France, who had tracked him down in the Big Apple in order to give him a gift for his 100th birthday- had it really been a hundred years? Damn.

France had been able to tell though, why he had really come.

After the present had been delivered and the two had left the park to talk, France dug into him about it. "Why did you come and see me, truly? No one was at the party but citizens that you accumulated on short notice."

"I haven't celebrated anything." America admitted. "I've not even really…been to D.C. since…." He trailed off, thoughtful.

"Since what?" France asked, sympathetic.

"Since the end of the civil war." He laughed. "I haven't…gone back, you know? I've done stuff on my own terms…"

France looked worried. "You are still a nation, correct? And still the main persona for that nation?"

Alfred laughed, half-hearted. "Yeah, France. I'm still the main persona, and still the nation…I made sure of that, I just…can't go back."

The older nation brought Alfred into a hug. "Big brother understands, it can be hard when you suffer trauma like that. I cannot imagine what that must be like on your own…"

America choked up, and he nodded, before whispering. "I still haven't seen anyone- you're the first nation in years… _years_ Francis…I mean… I have my  _states_  but you know as well as I do that they're not  _nations_ …" He swallowed thickly, trying to hold back tears. "You can smell it, can't you…I smell different now."

And Francis nodded slowly. "The smell of blood of our own." He sighed, ruffling Alfred's hair. "I didn't know you could smell the difference…"

Alfred shook his head again. "No, I can't…I just…I visited some of the older nations that are still around here, the tribes that still exist- they can smell it. The scent of murder."

Francis nodded. "Yes. Did another personification arise?" He asked, gently probing for information.

Alfred looked at him tearfully. "Mmhm- there was…his name was Robert. They called him Bobby, and he was the personification of the Confederacy." America licked his lips. "And I killed him." He whispered, and leaned on Francis, who hugged him tighter.

"Shhh…. Alfred, you were undoubtedly spurred on by madness- Civil Wars do that- it is unlikely that you, as in, you, Alfred F. Jones, killed him. He was trying to kill you as well, and create a new personification for another territory- the north- rather than have you still around, for you posed an undoubted threat to him. Either way, one of you would be gone forever. Do not feel guilt for the past."

But America cried anyway.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1903

America was finally back in business. He had been in Washington for a few years now, and Theodore was now President.

He had even started up relations with Europe again- England, even, had assisted him somewhat in the Spanish-American War.

He was in Rapprochement with England, and had opened relations with a lot of new nations. He liked Italy and Romano, Germany, though young, was also pleasant. Japan and him had become fast friends earlier in the 19th Century, and now they were entering the 20th.

The states were mostly back in Congress, the latest one to be added was Utah- which put him at 45 states in total.

Virginia had even apologized to America, a feat that he had honestly never seen coming. His shock only continued when England admitted he had been a bit of an ass to him in the 19th century as well.

Hell had frozen over, Alfred swore.

Canada was a country all of his own now, though he was still rather loyal to England. The brothers had opened up relations as well, and Alfred, though happy to see him, had a hole from where his other brother had been meant for.

Now, if things would continue to go this smoothly, the 20th Century would be amazing!

XXXXX

July 4th, 1918

Nothing was ever meant to last, was it? Alfred had to go and fucking jinx it for the 20th century.

What he was currently angry about was the fact Europe had broken out in war, Russia had dissolved into Civil War and dropped out of the Great War, and Germany was acting like a right ass, as England and France were, as well as basically the rest of the damn continent.

And now Alfred was involved in a war on the soil of a continent he had actually never been to before.

"Late to the party, aren't we?" Canada had joked, and England had echoed the sentiment, but it was plain to see he was glad to have the help.

It was his birthday, and England didn't celebrate it, Canada forgot it, and the only acknowledgement of it came from his states that had traveled over here to battle with him.

Virginia gave him sweets, her chest bound and her eyebrows neatly waxed.

At least they still had each other, right?

XXXXX

July 4th, 1934

No. Why did this century have to suck so much?

He was starving and sick all over again. Fucking Europe, fucking England.

He was blind now! What the fuck was that about!

Fucking Dust Bowl, fucking Depression…he hated everything.

"You look 18 now, Al." Virginia had said, sitting beside him along with D.C. and a few other states.

"Whoop-di-do. I'm legal to fight in my own nation now, not as though I hadn't been in wars before."

"Alfred, now, that's not nice. I know the fact you can't drink is getting to you-but…"

"Prohibition, fuck that too." He said, bitter.

"Fuck that too." Charlene echoed, her New Orleans' accent thick, the black woman having come up to him without him seeing her, and thrusting a bottle of something into his hands, and he drank it eagerly, being rewarded with the burning in his throat.

"Ah, Charlene, what would we do without you?" He asked, grinning a bit.

"Turn to Kentucky." She said, cheerful. "Or any other state ballsy enough to make moonshine."

"Charlene!" Mary-Ann said, startled. "You've been making what?!" She sounded affronted.

"What? Me?" She asked, innocently. "I'm just telling my government to go fuck themselves up the ass. They won't let me into the politician's buildings, because I'm  _black_  and a  _woman_." She said, sighing. "Might as well find something to do with my time."

"We're working on that." Clara said to her, though it was half-hearted.

"My dear, dear Clara." Charlene said, smiling widely. "I, hm,  _appreciate_  the sentiment, but, mm." She leaned in closer. "I don't know how to say it nicely, but- most suffragettes don't care about black women like myself, hence why you fought the man by saying that 'oh no, black men could vote before us, the white woman, how could that be, we're white after all, and therefore, better'." She pat her shoulder kindly. "So, in the nicest way,  _fuck_  off- Y'all are  _racist_." She and Mississippi high-fived, the two black states in utter agreement with each other on that subject.

Susannah grinned from her seat, jumping up, the 14 year old agreeing with Charlene. "Also, Clara, I don't see you supporting people like myself." She said, and Virginia turned away, embarrassed. "A woman who loves women."

The men in the room, Alfred and Henry and the others watched as the women bickered amongst themselves. North Carolina sipped his moonshine quietly, licking his lips nervously as he sat besides his twin, who was cackling about how nuts the girls were, and North was quietly agreeing with him.

The two were identical twins, David and Kenneth, and they had agreed with each other on most things since they were colonies. But lately, David had been drawn to something else entirely, and Kenneth wasn't entirely sure what was up with his northern twin.

Alfred supported them all, even when he was this angry at the state of the world.

And it was the Great Depression, and they had all moved into the same small house in the Virginian countryside in order to take care of each other. Florida took care of the small territories, who still only spoke Spanish for the most part, since Anita herself still spoke a good deal of Spanish.

However, they were all together, all 50 something of his states and other parts, and they were finally having an actual celebration for his birthday that wasn't filled with some sort of bullshit.

"Happy Birthday, Alfred!" They all said, even the little ones who could barely speak English, and Alfred had to smile, because no matter how much this sucked, it couldn't be horrible anymore- not with his friends all around him like this.

XXXXX

July 4th, 1943

They were planning to land in Italy tomorrow, meaning, he and Arthur and Matthew were together, in boats, on the way to Italy.

Poor France, the man with a splitting wound on his forehead from the fact his country was at war with itself as much as it wasn't, he had run off to be with Vichy France as his body commanded, and England had simply said that he'd be back in time, or whenever Arthur fucking felt like getting him, the frog, who had been living in London since the fall of France.

"Ah, yo Matt." He grinned. "Wasn't your birthday a few days ago?" He prompted, and Matthew looked surprised.

"You knew that?" He asked, blinking and Alfred only laughed. "Duh, of course I do, you're my bro, right?"

Matthew sighed, but nodded. "Yeah, I just forget sometimes, you can be pretty distant, and you and I haven't even had an open relationship for a century yet…"

Alfred frowned, but mostly hid the fact of how much that knowledge hurt him.

Matthew sighed, looking to the ceiling, clearly picking up on the upset his brother was feeling.

"It's your birthday, isn't it?" Arthur asked casually, and Matthew seemed to notice now why Alfred had mentioned it, and he went rather red.

Alfred nodded. "Yeah, you knew about it, right?" He laughed a bit. "I thought I saw you on my Centennial."

"Yeah…this year, it's been how many years since your independence?" And then he coughed; blood spurting out and Alfred looked at him in shock.

"Bro, that's new." He pointed out. "Are you sick?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Arthur glared. "It's nothing. Don't mention it again- after all its only because of your stupid indepen-." And he coughed again, more blood dripping down his chin.

America looked unimpressed, but shrugged. "Fine, fine. I won't mention it again." He sighed. "It's been 167 years now. My 150th birthday passed in the 1920's."

Canada now looked markedly embarrassed. "Oh. I didn't just miss your 100th, but also your 150th?" He asked, biting his lip. "Well! I'll just have to make it to your bicentennial!" He said, before asking, "Who was there at your 100th?"

"France!" He laughed. "He knew how to find me in N.Y., and so he came out to give me the unfinished Statue of Liberty. But uh…. no one else." He licked his lips, a fair bit embarrassed at that knowledge. "Mostly just people from my place. England, too, I guess, but he and I didn't talk at all…"

Arthur looked suitably nervous now, and Alfred only shrugged it off. "It's fine, bro." He grinned, trying to act like it was nothing. "I don't mind it…"

"You should- I acted like a child." He admitted. "I still occasionally do about the subject- you didn't deserve to have to endure a century of aloneness."

Alfred looked shocked, and licked his lips, rubbing the back of his neck.

"So, happy birthday, America." Canada said, instead of England.

He laughed, and then England sharply reminded them that they still had a war to fight, ninnies.

XXXXX

July 5th, 2015

His party was kickass that year, and it had been basically every year since the end of WWII. Except, now that Russia wasn't communist any more, it was much nicer as well!

Sure, his states still came around for the party, but they mostly dispersed afterwards- not that he minded, the craziness in the house with the 50 states and additional territories was already multiplied by the presence of his nation-friends as well. His brother was still around, he thought. Probably.

And, ah, there he was! Alfred laughed as he saw where his brother had wound up on the floor, probably having gone to sleep on the couch and have fallen off sometime during the night. Alfred snickered as he poked his shoulder with his foot, making Canada grumble ominously, clearly unhappy by the poking.

"Geez, bro, you're like, the definition of don't poke a sleeping bear." He muttered, before he cheerfully went to the kitchen to prepare himself a coffee, turning on the drip once he had the ground stuff prepared. He yawned, jumping onto his granite counters to sit and enjoy himself.

The sound of footsteps interrupted him, and he recognized it as Susannah and Donna- the state of North Carolina only recently coming out as trans- the two hearing the sound of coffee starting and coming to wait for it as well.

The three of them spoke amicably for a bit, discussing how things were going to go down now.

"South is threatening to secede again if you enforce the whole same-sex marriage thing." North Carolina said, huffing.

"He's a right ass." Westie said, rubbing her eyes tiredly, her own thick eyebrows in a mess.

Alfred laughed. "Ugh, maybe he visited Bobby's mausoleum?" He suggested. "And got inspired?"

Both Donna and Susie laughed, of course, but they all knew that Bobby had never actually faded after the war- and his body never really rotted either.

"Your brother's still here, right?" Susannah asked, grabbing the coffee pot the moment it was done before either Alfred or Donna could notice, pouring herself her black coffee, and drinking it straight black in one go, before she poured herself a second glass, and then gave it to Donna.

"Yeah, he is." Alfred agreed. "He's on the floor of the living room, try not to disturb him- Matt can be cranky."

"Mm, Bobby was too." North reminisced, looking into her coffee as she put yet another packet of artificial sweetener into it. "Interesting that you're  _not_  horrible in the morning." She smiled, before sipping it slowly.

Westie was thinking though. "How long has he been in the den? Someone's in the guest bedroom across from mine, and I just thought it was Matt."

Alfred looked confused, doing a mental tally. "The only people who typically stay the night are Matt, Kiku, and occasionally Toris. But, I saw Kiku leave, he was taking a red eye at 2 in the morning, I think, and Toris left the party super early last night." He hummed. "So who stayed, particularly without me knowing?"

"Mary-Ann and dad are gone too." Westie continued her mental tally. "They were gettin' busy last night at her place- Dad called this morning to tell me that he needed to talk to me, and I told him I'd be there sometime this evening." She hummed, finishing thinking of all the states. "Nope, no one else should be here- Donna and I were the only ones who stayed."

Alfred frowned. "Then who is it? I'm gonna go check."

He headed up the stairs, honestly baffled at who would stay the night and not tell him about it, but when he got upstairs and looked into the room, he just continued to be baffled.

Arthur Kirkland, naked, was dead asleep on the bed. He was also clearly still drunk, the bottle in his hands not even finished yet, and he dropped it, and Alfred leapt to his side to catch the bottle before it fell.

"Well, I don't mind that you're here, but I am curious as to why, and when did you even  _get_ here…?"

He climbed onto the bed, and he gently brushed the hair out of Arthur's face while he sat beside him.

Arthur was still handsome, too be honest. He just didn't know how to feel about him anymore… Alfred and him still didn't get along that well.

However, as Alfred looked away, he heard Arthur cough a bit, getting his attention as normally sharp green eyes stared at him, dulled by alcohol and sleepiness.

Alfred leapt away, laughing a bit as he looked to him in shock. "Whoa! England! You are awake!" He watched as Arthur held his hand out for his bottle, which was still grasped in Alfred's hands, and once he had it back, he took a long swig.

"Hello, Alfred." He said, drunken, and Alfred sighed.

"Why are you here?" He asked, blinking.

Arthur furrowed his brow, seeming to grow confused. "I was going to give you a present, of course. It's your birthday."

"Uh, Art, it's the 5th now…" Alfred pointed out archly, sitting on his bed with the Brit.

"Oh." He shrugged. "I reckon you'll still enjoy the present anyway."

Alfred stared, and blinked, before England, still entirely naked, leaned over onto Alfred, and tried to kiss him sloppily, Alfred simply sitting in shock until Arthur managed it, kissing him horribly, and Alfred shoved him off.

England looked surprised, and vaguely hurt. "You don't wanna snog?" He said, his accent getting thicker.

"No! You're drunk! Naked, and drunk!" He pointed out. "I mean, yeah, I'd normally love to kiss and stuff, but you're  _drunk!_ "

Arthur blinked, and nodded. "Hmm…Well, I could take a shower." He said, suggestive.

"Then I'd have a  _wet_  drunk. Who probably would also have a boner."

Arthur sighed. "Damn. I thought I'd look more attractive when I'm a little loose." He looked up at him, hopeful again.

America stared, before he laughed again. "Arthur, you're always attractive, but I can't feel good about getting some with you when you're literally saying shit like that- you're really fucking wasted."

The Brit crawled on his lap, and put his head above his crotch. "Let me sleep on you, then? You're unfortunately very comfortable and I missed being able to sleep against you."

"You're wasted." Alfred snorted. "But, okay. You should go to sleep- I'll be here whenever you wake up, you're probably making your jet lag worse, but eh. You somehow made it in without me noticing, so I suppose it was a good present."

"Matthew, the doll, let me in." He smiled, closing his eyes as Alfred pet his hair. "I'm glad…that you still tolerate me…"

"We're kinda meant for each other." He laughed, "I mean, we're both horrible with people and all, and we're both pretty fixated on each other."

Arthur nodded, growing sleepy now that he had time to be, and Alfred started to pet his hair. "I still expect to be shagged when I get up- I just needed to be pissed to say so." He muttered, and he slowly fell asleep, letting Alfred soothe him.

Damn. If only he had shown up yesterday- Virginia would owe him money.

 

**Author's Note:**

> XXXXX
> 
> AHHAHAHA done. It S DONE FUCK YEAH. HAHAHHA. OVE R 9000 WORDS YES. GOOD ALEX.
> 
> Anyway! I hope you enjoyed it! B) I enjoyed writing it!
> 
> A complete list of OCs who make frequent appearances can be found here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1NSXax4DkJQb0HWGeAg7ia97o5SXdIvB52nUaI0DOQiA/edit


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